Apparatus for guiding flexible bands or belts in motion



Oct. 11 1927. 1,644,927

M. LANDRAUD lAPPARATUS FOR GUIDING FLEXIBLE BANDS OR BELTS IN MOTION Filed May 11, l192e 2 sheet-sheez 1 w 1 A 2 u n M y *NNN v Lfd..

uw Y n .wY 1 N IN www L oct. 11,1927. 1,644,927 Y M. LANDRAUD APPARATUS FOR GUIDING FLEXIBLE BANDS OR BELTS IN MOTION Filed May 11; 192e 2` sheets-sheer 2 'miliari Patented Oct. 1l, 1927.

UNITED STATES leraar-i' PATENT o-FFICE.

MARC LANDRAUD, OF RENAGE, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR GUDNG- FLEXIBLE BANDS OR BELTS IN MOTION.

Application filed May 11, 1926, Serial No. 108,358, and in France May 19, 1925.

My invention relates to an apparatus which is adapted to guide flexible bands such as belts, felt bands, or textile belts or bands passing over rollers7 and to automatically return the said bands when deflected from their proper course.

The said apparatus comprises a main roller, which is mounted in a frame adapted to oscilla-te on a central pivot axle which is perpendicular to the` axis of rotation of the roller. Upon the upper part of the said main roller are caused to bear two small rollers which are mounted on the said frame and are spaced apart by a distance which is very slightly in excess of the width of the band to be guided.

lhen the said band is deflected from its course7 it will engage below one of the small rollers, and the pressure of said roller will cause the said frame and roller to pivot about in such manner that the band will be slightly displaced and will rapidly return to its original position.

A constructional form of the guiding apf paratus according to my said invention is shown by way of example in the appended drawings.

Fig. 1 is an elevational view ot the said apparatus with certain parts in section.

Fig. 2 is the corresponding plan View. l

Fig. 3 is a side view on a larger scale, with certain parts in section.

lln the said gures,the two end parts a and 5 which pertain to a stationary frame are connected together by an I-beam 6 which is placed atwise, said I-beam comprising at the middleY part a cup-shaped member 7 containing the vertical rollers 8 distributed around a central pivot axle 9 which is secured to an I-beam 10 resembling the beam 6 and disposed above the latter.

The beam 10 rests upon the beam 6 firstly by means ot a circular row of balls 11 surrounding the axle 9 and secondly by means of two small rollers 12 mounted in the forked holders 13 disposed upon the beam 10 and bearing upon the roller races 14 secured to the beam 6 by a set of screws 15 for regulating the height.

The beam 6 carries at a suitable point a U-shaped member 16 3) whose branches are provided with adjustment screws 17 between which are disposed the beam 10. From this disposition it will result that the beam 10 may pivot in the cup 7 while still remaining orizontalJ due to the rollers 12, but its motion is limited at will by the stop-screws 17.

To the ends of the 11191981 beam 10 are se- -cured by the bolts 18 two right-angle brackets 19 which support in the bearings 20 the axles 21 of a roller 22, at a certain distance above the bearings 20, the brackets 19 areV Upon the arm 24 is rotatably mounted between two collars 29 and 30 a roller 31 consisting of a suitable substance such as india rubber.

Above each arm 24 extends a support 32 which is secured to the angle bracket 19 b the nut 33 which is engaged in a slot 34 in thebracket. The ends of the arm 24 and of the suppport 32 are terminated by two small cups 35 mounted in opposite position7 having between them the spring 36.

The adjustment of the respective heights of the arm 2a and the support 32 is such that the roller 31 will rest upon the upper part of the cylinder of the roller 32, and the least ascent of the said roller will greatly compress the spring 36.

The position of the roller 31 on the arm 24 is so regulated that the distance between the two rollers is very slightly in excess of the width of the band 37 passing over the roller 22.

The operation is as follows:

Let it be supposed that the band 37 moves slightly to the right in Fig. 1; it will then be engaged below the right hand roller 31 which will rise and compress the spring' 36, thus exercising a great pressure on the main roller 22.

This pressure causes a frictional engagement between the bands and the corresponding end of the main roller thereby causing the same to move with the band 37; the main roller will thus rotate on the axle 9 until the beam 1() meets one oi the abutments 17 and the left hand end of the said roller will be thus displaced in the direction contrary thereto.

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The main roller being thus displaced in position, the band Will move slightly to the left, and will be engaged below vthe left hand small roller 31; the opposite movement will now take place, and the band will return to the'right.

'After s Certain number of diminishing,` oscillations, the main roller QQ-Will come into a` position of equilibrium, Vand Will leave this position only When outside interference again displaees the band to the right or left.

`Obviously, the invention is not limited to the present example, and the apparatusV is susceptible of numerous constructional modiiications relating to the pivoting parts for the roller or to the supports for the lateral rollers. Y

I claim:

In a device of the character described, a buse, a iframe pivotally mounted thereupon, a main roller rotatably mounted in said frame, levers pivotally mounted in said frame above said main roller and extending inwardly over the ends thereof, rollers rotatably mounted on said levers and adapted to Contact with said main roller at points Vneer the ends thereof, arms extending inwardly from said frame `above seid levers and substantially the same length thereof, expansible springs positioned betweenV the inner ends oi3 said arms and the inner ends of said levers to maintain said rollers in contact with said main roller.

In Witness' whereof I have hereunto set my handf` l MARC LANDRAUD. 

